


you and me (and atmosphere)

by oneprotagonistshort



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 18:28:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12538412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneprotagonistshort/pseuds/oneprotagonistshort
Summary: Blaine had just started at the med bay at the D'Qar Resistance base when he met Sebastian Smythe. A skilled pilot, Sebastian had a reputation for causing trouble, but somehow that wasn't enough to keep Blaine away.





	you and me (and atmosphere)

**Author's Note:**

> alternate titles of this work include "seblaine goes to space" and "the Star Wars AU no one asked for"
> 
> set roughly pre-TFA, title from "In Space" by Ludo

The first time Sebastian Smythe came through the med bay, it was with a swagger in his step and a smile on his face and a four-inch laceration on his upper arm. The grease-covered rag he was pressing onto the cut was trying valiantly to hold back the blood and failing spectacularly. He sat down heavily, but sprawled his legs out in front of him like he could wait all day. 

Blaine had never seen him before, but he was new and didn't know everyone yet. “Let me see,” he said, hurrying over with the closest medpac he could find. He carefully removed the bloody rag; by then it wasn't doing much and if anything the dirt on it was making things worse. “This is impressive,” he said, working quickly to blot up the blood, sanitize everything, and apply a bacta patch. He glanced briefly at his patient’s face, and did a double-take when they locked eyes. 

“Everything about me is impressive, but you look pretty new so you probably don't know that yet,” he said, holding out his hand. “Sebastian Smythe. Who are you?”

Flustered, Blaine shook it, not realizing it was attached to Sebastian’s injured arm until he hissed and pulled away. “Sorry, sorry,” Blaine said. “You should really be more careful with that.”

“You’re the medic,” Sebastian said. “Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to be careful?”

Blushing, Blaine turned his attention to Sebastian’s bicep where the bacta patch was holding steady. “I am, I’m sorry,” he apologized again, examining the patch more closely. “It’s Blaine, by the way, I just transferred fr- are you flexing right now?”

As if on cue, Sebastian’s arm relaxed. “Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said. “I thought I should give you an up-close example of how impressive I am. Since you’re new, and all.”

Blaine rolled his eyes; he could tell from the flight suit that Sebastian was a pilot. They were all the same, cocky flyboys with egos the size of D’Qar itself. “I’m impressed you didn’t need more than a patch,” he said. “Let the bacta do its work. No lifting or stretching or twisting or anything that might upset the healing process. Come back in 24 hours and we’ll take another look.”

“No pumping motions either, I take it.” Sebastian’s cocked eyebrow left no question as to what he was asking about.

“Sorry, but you won’t be able to impress yourself tonight,” Blaine deadpanned. He wasn’t in the mood to put up with this; he was still getting established on the base and had better things to do.

“Who said I was asking for myself?” was Sebastian’s response, and he was out of his chair with a wink before Blaine could figure out what to say.

He watched Sebastian leave, not really knowing what had just happened. His mentor Duria passed by and caught him staring. “First time with Sebastian, huh?” she asked.

“What’s his story?”

Duria laughed. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

* * *

The second time Sebastian came through the med bay, he had a burn the size of Blaine’s hand on his chest. 

“How did this not burn through your shirt?” Blaine asked, frowning at the damage as he applied bacta spray. 

Sebastian shrugged, wincing a little at the movement. “I work better shirtless.”

“Doing maintenance on an X-Wing?” Blaine asked incredulously. “You’re insane.”

“I’m just giving the people what they want,” Sebastian said, and Blaine looked away from where he’d caught himself stealing glimpses of the rest of Sebastian’s exposed torso. Sebastian, it seemed, had noticed. “Like what you see?”

Blaine felt his face heat up, but he smiled despite himself. “What I see is a second-degree burn that could have been a lot worse. This should take care of the worst of it but I’m sending you home with a gel for any remaining sensitivity. Thin layers as necessary, got it?”

Sebastian nodded with a small salute, and Blaine left him to let the bacta sit while he grabbed the gel. He wasn’t sure what to make of the pilot. Sebastian was good-looking for sure, but he had the ego of someone who knew it. X-Wing pilot, so he was an adrenaline junkie. Careless, obviously, or he wouldn’t be getting injured so often. Blaine wondered if it was the action or the cause that had brought him to the Resistance.

When he returned with the gel, Sebastian was still sitting where he’d left him, grinning like he’d done nothing wrong. “So am I gonna live?”

“You’ll survive,” Blaine said, “at least until Duria kills you for wasting our resources. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re a resistance of limited means. Next time, I don’t care what the people want, wear a shirt.”

“You know,” Sebastian said with a sly smile, “you’re the first guy who’s ever told me to keep my clothes _on_.”

Blaine shoved the gel in his hands and ushered him out the door. “The people will be fine,” he said. “Go fix something so I don’t have to keep fixing you.”

Sebastian turned to face Blaine as he backed down the hallway. “What happens when I get heatstroke from working with too many layers on?”

“I’ll deal with you then,” Blaine said, annoyed with himself for not being more annoyed. Sebastian had no right to monopolize his time like this, but somehow Blaine didn’t mind. When Sebastian turned to walk out the door, he called after him, “Put on a shirt!”

The thumbs-up Sebastian gave him over his shoulder made Blaine laugh against his will.

* * *

The next time Blaine saw Sebastian, he had heatstroke.

He wasn’t being a smartass; it was unusually hot even for the summer, and humid on top of that. Sebastian’s squadron had been out running hand-to-hand combat drills and half of them were being seen by medics for sunburns, heatstroke, dehydration, or some combination of the three. Apparently Sebastian wasn’t the only one who didn’t know his limit.

“Drink this,” Blaine instructed, handing Sebastian a glass of cold water. Once half the glass was gone, he continued. “Are you out of your mind? Sebastian, it’s hot enough out there to melt your shoes to the tarmac. What were you thinking?”

Sebastian at least had the good sense to look contrite. “There was intel,” he said between sips, “that the First Order might be gearing up for some kind of attack. We have to be ready.”

Blaine sighed. “Pilots,” he said. “You’re all the same. You’re not going to be able to help anyone if you’re all in here.”

“What do you know about pilots?” Sebastian asked, draining the rest of the water.

“My brother,” Blaine explained. “Cooper was supposed to fly with Sabre Strike.”

Sebastian whistled. “Wow,” he said. “Why haven’t I seen him around?”

“He was injured,” Blaine said, giving Sebastian a meaningful look. “A medic saved his life but he can’t fly anymore. He’s an intelligence operative off-world now. I’m not allowed to talk to him much.”

“I’m sorry, Blaine,” Sebastian said with a sincerity that seemed unlike him.

Blaine took the empty glass from his hands. “Drink one more of these and then go back to your quarters and rest. This is not a discussion.”

“Yes sir,” Sebastian said, and the wink that accompanied it let Blaine know that he was starting to feel like his usual self.

* * *

Blaine learned more about Sebastian after that, usually in bits and pieces from other members of the staff in the med bay. As far as Blaine could tell, half of them were completely infatuated with him and the other half thought he was a nuisance. Blaine wasn’t sure where he fell.

He started to notice Sebastian around, catching sight of him in the mess hall or bumping into him in any of the countless winding hallways that made up the base. He was popular with the pilots for sure, he always seemed to have a few with him no matter where he was. He never ate alone, something Blaine was growing used to. 

Everyone had been more than welcoming, but the irregularity of his shifts meant Blaine got less time to mingle with the general population than he would have liked. The rest of the medical staff was great, but most of them were in the same boat Blaine was, and no one ever seemed to be free at the same time. He didn’t usually mind, but sometimes he watched Sebastian and his gaggle of friends with a touch of envy. He loved what he did, and he wouldn’t trade his job for the world, but there was only so much he could do with the time off he got. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that that time was usually in the hours before the base woke up.

It was starting to get a little lonely, a concept Blaine wasn’t sure Sebastian had ever heard of. He knew the rumors and had heard the gossip about Sebastian’s love life, but he wrote them off as just talk. At least, he did until the morning he caught a shirtless scanner technician sneaking out of Sebastian’s quarters just before dawn. Blaine had honestly just been hoping to get some caf from the mess hall; he hadn’t anticipated bumping into anyone.

“Locke?” he asked, not trusting his eyes at that hour.

“Oh, hey Blaine,” Locke said, tugging on a shirt. “I was just… getting some data from Sebastian.”

“Right,” Blaine said. “Totally normal, middle of the night, shirtless data.”

Locke blushed. “Yes?”

“Hey, we’re all adults,” said Blaine. “If you want to get some data I’m not here to judge.”

“Thanks, Blaine,” Locke said, brushing past him on his way to his own quarters.

Blaine stole a look at Sebastian’s closed door, shook his head, and moved on. It wasn’t any of his business.

However, it turned out that Sebastian’s love life was most people’s business. He didn’t exactly try to hide the string of men that always seemed to be coming and going, and now that Blaine had seen it with his own eyes he couldn’t _unsee_ it. There was always some guy trailing after Sebastian with star-struck eyes and Sebastian was always a little brighter around him, encouraging it. Then, after a week or two, the guy would be gone and Sebastian would carry on as if nothing had changed. 

Blaine didn’t have many friends, so he had a lot of time to observe. He wondered if anyone else saw what he saw, but Sebastian wasn’t shy and a lot of what he did was public record. Nobody really seemed to mind. People knew what they were getting into with him, and he was never hesitant to deliver. With a reputation like that, Blaine realized it must’ve been hard work to maintain a positive spin. Then again, when Sebastian was known for doing something, he was known for doing it well.

The same could be said for his skills in the air, too. Blaine had caught a glimpse of him running maneuvers in the D’Qar sky with some new recruits, and what he saw was impressive. Blaine was no pilot, obviously, but growing up with Cooper had taught him a thing or two. Flying like that took skill, precision, concentration, and control. Guiltily, Blaine wondered if that was Sebastian’s appeal in bed, too.

One morning, Blaine managed to be eating breakfast at the same time as everyone else. Granted, it was actually his lunch and he had another six hours on duty, but there were more people around than he was used to. They filtered in, tables filling up quickly, and Blaine was watching the crowd when someone sat down next to him.

“That looks thrilling,” Sebastian said sarcastically, looking down at the article Blaine had been reading.

“You can read Bocce?” Blaine asked. “You don’t seem like the type.”

“Excuse you, I speak four languages,” Sebastian said. “But you’re right, I can’t read Bocce for shit. I’m assuming it’s boring based on the medical drawings.”

Blaine laughed. “No way,” he said, “that’s the best part. There’s a cross-section of an Aqualish eye in here, it’s incredible.”

The appalled look on Sebastian’s face made Blaine laugh harder. “That’s disgusting,” Sebastian said. “You’re reading this over breakfast? You must be immune to nausea.”

“Well technically for me it’s lunch,” Blaine said, “I’m only halfway through my shift. Plus, once they make you dissect a Corellian sea ray there’s not a whole lot you can’t stomach.”

Sebastian pushed his own breakfast away from him like it had suddenly become toxic. “You need to get out more,” he said. “Get a hobby or something.”

Undeterred, Blaine kept eating. “Lately my main hobby has been patching up certain pilots who can’t seem to stay out of the med bay,” he said pointedly.

“I can stay out of the med bay if I want,” Sebastian countered. “Maybe I just like the company in there better. I can never seem to find it anywhere else.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “I do exist outside of the med bay,” he said, and at Sebastian’s skeptical look he added, “I’m new and trying to make a good impression so I take the shifts no one wants. I don’t get much of a social life but someone needs to do it.”

“Isn’t that why we have droids?” Sebastian asked. “Look at yourself. A body like yours shouldn’t be locked up every night, it’s criminal. When’s your next night off?”

“Tomorrow,” Blaine said. He’d planned on reading in bed and turning in early. He had a feeling his plans were about to change.

He was right. “Tomorrow night,” Sebastian said, “you and me are going to break open the Idlewil liquor I’ve been saving and we’re going to have a good time.”

“Sebastian, I can’t-” Blaine started, but Sebastian was having none of it. He checked the time and realized he didn’t even have time to fight him on it because he had to get back to work.

“Tomorrow night,” Sebastian insisted again as Blaine stood to leave. “Don’t make me come find you.”

“Fine, fine,” Blaine agreed. “Tomorrow night.”

Duria laughed at him for a full five minutes when he returned to his shift and told her what happened.

* * *

The next night, Blaine made his way to the mess hall a little self-consciously. He knew that in the evenings people would hang out there, bringing card games and holopads and music, but he’d never joined them. He scanned the room for Sebastian, but Sebastian found him first.

“Blaine!” Sebastian said from behind him, making him jump. “I wasn’t sure you’d actually come.”

“I wasn’t sure I was going to like what would have happened if you’d needed to hunt me down,” Blaine said. 

Sebastian laughed. “It’s a good thing we don’t need to find out. Drink?” He held up a bottle.

Blaine eyed the bottle nervously. Idlewil was notorious for getting people into trouble and a bottle like that would have been expensive and hard to come by. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

“You are tonight,” Sebastian said, pushing him towards a table so they could both sit down. He set the bottle down and pulled two shot glasses and a deck of cards out of his bag. “Rules are simple. You lose a round, you drink. Unless you want to play the strip version?”

“Somehow the alcohol seems safer,” Blaine said. Sebastian was setting up for pazaak, and he was _terrible_ at pazaak.

Sebastian set up the main deck and picked the cards for his side deck. He poured two shots, pushed one towards Blaine, and said, “To us.”

Picking up the shot, Blaine decided to just go with it. He didn’t have a whole lot to lose. “To us,” he said, knocking it back. The liquor was smooth, barely even burning his throat on the way down, and he could feel the effects start to kick in within seconds. Sebastian was grinning at him like he’d just won the lottery when Blaine added, “One more, then I’ll pick my cards and we can play.”

The Idlewil was very effective at loosening Blaine up, but it didn’t change the fact that he was catastrophically bad at pazaak. After losing his first round, he resigned himself to a long night, and after losing a fifth round he stopped caring. He managed to beat Sebastian a few times in the process, so at least he wasn’t drinking alone.

Sebastian was still a popular guy, and friends of his came and went, stopping by to say hello and provide commentary on the game. A pilot named Jess who Blaine had never met sat down next to him, offering tips on strategy. After Blaine had won three rounds with her help, Sebastian kicked everyone out, citing “the purity of competition.”

“He’s a sore loser,” Jess explained as she got up. “You’re on your own now, good luck.”

By the time Blaine had officially lost count of how many rounds they’d played, he was well and truly drunk. When Sebastian packed up the cards, he looked up and realized they were alone. “Where’d everyone go?” he asked, slurring his words just a little bit. “Tell them to come back, I like your friends.”

Sebastian laughed as he started packing everything up. “Your sleep schedule really is fucked, isn’t it? It’s late, Blaine. Some of us have work in the morning.”

“Oh shit,” Blaine said. “Are you gonna be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Sebastian said, standing up. “Not so sure about you, though.”

Blaine tried to mimic Sebastian by standing up himself, and immediately fell over. “I’m fine,” he said, standing up again. “I’m barely even drunk,” he insisted, taking all of two steps before the floor tilted underneath him and he stumbled forward, only saved from total humiliation when Sebastian grabbed him by the arm and helped him get upright.

“Right,” Sebastian said. “I have an empty bottle of Idlewil that begs to differ. Let’s get you to bed before you hurt yourself.”

Knowing he’d reached his limit, Blaine reluctantly agreed. “Fine,” he said, looping his arm around Sebastian’s neck, “but I might need some help.”

The walk back to Blaine’s quarters was slow; Blaine lost his balance frequently and nearly took Sebastian down with him several times, the two of them laughing until they remembered the time and shushed themselves into quiet giggles. Sebastian never let go, and Blaine could feel his warmth seeping pleasantly into his side. He felt good, better than he had in a long time. He hadn’t realized how much the loneliness of life in the Resistance was getting to him until suddenly it was gone.

They were almost back to his room, Blaine leaning heavily on Sebastian for the last stretch. His mind was starting to feel fuzzy from the drink and he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “You know, I joined the Resistance because I _believe_ in it, you know? And I do believe in it, I believe in everything we do here. It’s just…” he trailed off.

“It’s just what?” Sebastian asked, humoring him now that they were at his door.

“I just didn’t realize it would be so hard to get laid here,” Blaine said. “You certainly don’t seem to have that problem.”

That managed to surprise a laugh out of Sebastian. “You’re right, I don’t,” he said. “Come find me when you sober up, I can help you fix that.”

“Come inside,” Blaine said, having finally succeeded in his valiant efforts to open the door.

“Not tonight, killer,” Sebastian said. “I have a policy against hooking up with people who are too drunk to walk themselves home.”

Blaine scoffed. “I could have made it,” he said, but when Sebastian let go he swayed dangerously and had to admit he had a point. “Fine,” he said. “Your loss.”

Sebastian pushed Blaine into his room until the backs of his legs hit the bed and he collapsed backwards onto it. “I didn’t say never,” Sebastian said, leaning over him with a wolfish grin, “I just said not tonight.”

With that he was gone, leaving Blaine’s head swimming with his sudden absence. He vaguely registered the sound of his door closing, and was out within minutes.

The next morning, Blaine woke up with a headache and a sinking feeling that he’d embarrassed himself. His memory was mostly intact, which only made things worse. He’d been beyond drunk, past the point of fun and into awkward territory. He made a mental list of people he was going to have to avoid before the gnawing hunger in his stomach forced him to go get food.

Disoriented and hungover, Blaine made his way to breakfast. His sleep schedule had been so disrupted that waking up at a normal hour was catching him off-balance, and he didn’t even hear Sebastian saying his name until he caught him by the wrist.

“Woah,” Sebastian said. “Rough night?”

“Hilarious,” Blaine said, rubbing his eyes. He had a feeling he looked like a hurricane had hit him and didn’t even want to think about what his hair was doing. “I’m just here to get some caf before I crawl into a hole and die of humiliation.”

“What are you talking about?” Sebastian asked. “Last night was great. Come on, we saved you a seat.”

Blaine looked past him to where Jess was waving him over. Sure enough, there was an empty spot at the table. He followed Sebastian and sat down, trying to catch up on what had just happened. He’d met everyone the night before and they’d all seemed nice enough then, but to have them all invite him in was surprising. A little bit of hope flickered in his chest; maybe he’d managed to make some friends.

He looked across the table at Sebastian. He remembered the promise, _not never, just not tonight,_ but as he looked around him he realized he didn’t want to jeopardize his potential newfound social life by becoming one of Sebastian’s weekly flings. It was tempting, but this was more important.

Jess nudged him with her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“Hungover,” Blaine admitted. “I’ve never been that drunk in my entire life.”

“You’re welcome,” Sebastian said. “Did you at least have a good time?”

Blaine took a second to feel some remorse over his answer. Sebastian hadn’t actually done anything wrong, if anything he’d been too good, too welcoming, for Blaine to risk getting involved with him. He’d be lying if she said he didn’t want to go there, but for now that option was off the table.

“I had a great time,” Blaine said. “I was so drunk by the end that I don’t even remember getting home.”

He looked away so he wouldn’t have to see whether or not Sebastian reacted.

* * *

Blaine’s life became steadily more social after that.

He still worked the shifts no one wanted and kept hours that were different from the rest of the base’s, but at least now he had some friendly faces to look for when he ate meals at the wrong time. Sebastian always seemed to be around, sliding into an empty seat or bumping into him in the hallways, and they fell into an easy camaraderie. Sebastian would even sometimes stop by the med bay without getting injured first, popping in to say hi before he started his day.

Blaine didn’t get many more free nights, or really much time off at all. The Resistance was getting by on whatever resources and staff it could scrape up, and sometimes the med bay was only barely getting by. He worked nonstop, double shifts piling up until he’d forgotten what day it was. He knew it wasn’t sustainable, but planned on going as long as he could.

The breaking point came when Duria caught him sleeping on an unused stretcher where he’d thought he wouldn’t get caught. He only had about four hours between shifts and hadn’t seen the point in going all the way back to his quarters when he could just sleep on-site. Duria wasn’t impressed.

“You’re going to burn out,” she said after yanking the pillow out from under him and smacking him awake with it. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I just wanted to be helpful,” Blaine said sheepishly, sitting up and trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. “We need all the help we can get.”

Duria smacked him again. “You’re not going to be helping anyone when your concentration slips and you get someone killed. How many hours of sleep have you gotten in the last five days?”

Blaine did some mental math and winced. “Would you believe me if I told you I don’t remember?”

“This is my fault,” Duria said, giving up on the pillow and sitting down next to Blaine. “I knew you were working too much but I didn’t realize it was this bad. I should have checked on you.”

“Hey,” Blaine said. “I’m the one who signed up. I know my limits.”

“Obviously you don’t,” said Duria, leveling him with a stern glare. “This ends now. One week of leave, mandatory. After that if you still want to work overnight, that’s fine, I won’t say we don’t need you. But we’re getting you on a regular schedule, no more sleeping on the job.”

Blaine started to protest, but changed his mind when he saw how serious she was. It was possible she might be right. “Fine,” he said. “But only if you promise that you’ll call me in if you really need me.”

“If there truly is a crisis I’ll let you know,” Duria said. “Until then, go home. Sleep. Have a life.”

Reluctantly, Blaine complied. When he left the med bay he realized that not only did he not know what day it was, he wasn’t actually sure what time it was, either. He drifted towards the nearest exit and stepped outside. The sunlight that immediately hit him suggested mid-morning, and he closed his eyes and leaned into it, taking a deep breath of D’Qar air. It was clear and warm and the gentle breeze made Blaine realize he didn’t even remember the last time he’d been outdoors. The base was underground, including his quarters and the med bay. He hadn’t had a reason or the time to venture outside until now.

He sat down in the grass, taking it all in. He heard the familiar sound of X-Wing engines before he saw them, but when he looked up he caught sight of them swooping in overhead. He had a dim memory of Jess saying they were going to be taking the new recruits off-world for something, but he couldn’t remember what it was or when she’d told him. He was even more out of touch than he’d realized.

Blaine watched from a distance as they landed and their pilots jumped out of the cockpits. The orange jumpsuits made them hard to miss, and one in particular stood out to him. Sebastian pulled off his helmet and Blaine felt for a minute like he’d been dropped into a holodrama. 

He watched with wide eyes as Sebastian tugged off his vest and unbuttoned his flight suit. He shrugged off the top half, tying the sleeves around his waist, and accepted the bottle of water that was handed to him. The breeze ruffled his hair and Blaine wondered abstractly what it would feel like to run his hands through it. He still remembered Sebastian telling him _I didn’t say never_ and for the first time since that night he let himself think about what that would entail. 

When Sebastian lifted the hem of his tank top to wipe the sweat off his face, Blaine’s thoughts became decidedly less abstract. He felt ridiculous, like a teenager mooning over the latest celebrity heartthrob, but that didn’t change the fact that his pulse quickened just a little bit when Sebastian knelt down to talk to an astromech droid. When Sebastian laughed at something it said, it was shocking that Blaine didn’t faint on the spot.

He was lost in thought when Sebastian caught him staring and started walking over. Blaine stood up, brushed the grass off his pants, tried not to be too transfixed by the way Sebastian’s shoulders looked in the sunlight, and met him halfway. 

“Did Duria fire you?” Sebastian asked. He was just a little bit sweaty and had grease streaked across his right cheekbone. Blaine lost focus on anything else for a second, wanting to reach up and wipe it away. Later, he'd try to attribute it to sleep deprivation, but he didn't even believe himself. 

“Sort of,” he admitted after Sebastian’s puzzled look snapped him out of it. “She's making me take a week off because she thinks I work too much.”

“You?” Sebastian asked, feigning disbelief. “Working too much? I don't know where she would have gotten that idea.”

Blaine chuckled self-consciously, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know, I know,” he said. “I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself for a full week. I haven’t had that much time off in years.”

“Why don’t you train with me?” Sebastian asked, sizing him up. “We can whip you into shape, it’ll be great.”

“Okay,” Blaine agreed without even thinking about what he was agreeing to. “What do you have in mind?”

Sebastian grinned. “This is going to be fun.”

* * *

They started out the next morning running laps, circling the entire airfield half a dozen times before Sebastian finally slowed down. Wheezing a little, Blaine came to a full stop behind him.

“Is this what you call fun?” he asked, wiping the sweat out of his eyes. 

“It’s getting there,” Sebastian said, remarkably chipper for someone who’d been running for an hour.

It was early, too early, and Blaine objected to being out of bed. “Wasn’t the whole point of my week off so I could rest?” he asked. “You know, get extra sleep? Remind me why I’m doing this.”

“You’ll sleep great tonight,” Sebastian said. “Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Let’s do one more then you can hit the fresher and we can get some breakfast.”

Blaine groaned but begrudgingly started back up, following Sebastian for one final loop. Later, after he’d cleaned himself up and inhaled his breakfast, he’d be forced to admit that Sebastian was right. He was sore and achey but felt better than he had in ages. At some point he’d stopped taking care of himself, and this was a good start to getting back on track.

The next day was a pickup game of smashball with Sebastian and a few other pilots. It was punishing, a contact sport for sure, but Blaine managed to hold his own and even score a few points. Sebastian beamed at him from the end-zone after a particularly well-earned goal, and Blaine couldn’t stop himself from grinning back. Despite all of his initial complaining, Blaine was having fun.

Unlike Blaine, Sebastian didn’t have a full week off and spent most of his time working. There was training, maintenance, supply runs, countless small tasks that made up part of a much bigger picture. The Resistance fleet had to be ready to mobilize on a moment’s notice and a lot of work went into making that possible. Blaine let Sebastian do his job, content to train before the day started or after he’d finished working.

While Sebastian worked, Blaine read. Not medical texts for once, but for pleasure. He’d always had an interest in history and found himself reading up on the Senate, the Empire, and the Rebellion. There was so much to learn, and Blaine wanted to absorb as much of it as he could while he had the time.

On his last day of leave, he was handed a holopad and camera by a lieutenant he’d only ever met in passing. He took them back to his quarters and set them down on his desk, playing the message.

“Hey little brother,” came Cooper’s voice as the hologram illuminated, and Blaine pressed a hand to his mouth to stifle the surprised laughter that threatened to drown out the words. It had been a long time since he’d heard from Cooper, and he didn’t want to miss anything.

“I don’t have a lot of time, and I can’t say much,” Cooper continued, “but I wanted to let you know that I’m doing alright. I hear you’ve been working yourself to the bone, which doesn’t surprise me, overachiever that you are. I’m proud of you, but you need to take care of yourself. I’m all the way out here on the other side of the kriffing galaxy so I can’t put you in a headlock until you agree to a day off, so you need to take some initiative. Keep in mind that if you don’t, Duria will kick both of our asses next time we’re together.”

Cooper looked from side to side, almost as if he was checking to see if he was alone, and then he continued in a hushed whisper, “Things are happening, squirt. Big things. We might get to see each other sooner than I thought. Stay alert, and be ready.”

The hologram flickered off, and Blaine let the words sink in. Be ready? What did that mean? Ready for what? He knew the drill by then, he’d have until morning to record a response, and if all went according to plan it would eventually reach Cooper. Blaine never knew if it would take days or weeks or months to get there, but it was always delivered in the end.

He was thinking about what he would say when he heard a knock on his door. Expecting the lieutenant, he was surprised to find Sebastian on the other side when he opened it.

“Last night of freedom,” Sebastian said. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Blaine glanced back at the holopad on his desk. He had all night and he still wasn’t sure what he wanted to send back, so he turned to Sebastian with a grin and said, “What did you have in mind?”

* * *

Blaine adjusted the wraps on his hands nervously. “This is my surprise?”

Across the mat from him, Sebastian held up the pads affixed to his forearms. “Fighting is like sex,” he said. “It’s raw physical contact combined with aggression and sweat. I think you need to learn how to at least throw a good punch.”

“Oh, and you want me to fight you?” Blaine asked.

“Among other things,” Sebastian said, and Blaine felt his face heat up at the thought. “We’ll start slow, just a couple jabs to warm up.”

“You’re sure?”

Sebastian inched closer. “Do your worst.”

A jab, cross, body hook, round kick, and Sebastian was on the floor within seconds. It had been a while, but Blaine could do the motions in his sleep.

“ _Ow_ ,” came Sebastian’s voice where he’d sprawled out flat on his back, sounding more offended than injured. “What the hell was that?”

Blaine stood over him, trying not to look too pleased with himself. “Do you really think I grew up with an asshole pilot brother without learning how to defend myself?”

Sebastian grabbed his wrist and pulled down, yanking Blaine onto the mat next to him. “Fair enough,” he said as Blaine fell over with a yelp, “but your reflexes could use some work.”

Blaine sprawled out somewhat uncomfortably next to him, a little closer than strictly necessary. He turned his head to look at Sebastian and said, “Still wanna fight me?” letting the innuendo sink into every word. He could play it off as a joke if he needed to, but he didn’t think he would need to.

“Now more than ever,” said Sebastian, not missing a beat. “Your moves are impressive, I bet you’d be great in a fight.”

They were well past subtle now, and Blaine knew exactly where this was going to go. He was finally ready to take that risk and had opened his mouth to suggest they go “fight” somewhere more private when he was interrupted by the noise of the door being hastily shoved open.

They both sat bolt upright, alarmed by the intrusion, and found Jess in the doorway looking frenzied.

“Sebastian,” she said. “The general needs to see you right away.”

Blaine and Sebastian exchanged confused glances before Sebastian got up and followed her out, leaving Blaine sitting on the floor with a sinking feeling that something very, very bad was about to happen.

* * *

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you anything,” was all Sebastian could say when Blaine finally found him outside by his X-Wing later. “I’m going off-world. Three days at most. That’s all you can know.”

Blaine knew how it went, he’d heard the same from Cooper more times than he could count. Sebastian had that same preoccupied look and restless twitch in his hands that Cooper always got before he was about to leave for a mission. 

“When do you leave?”

“Two hours,” said Sebastian. “Blaine, I don’t have a lot of time-”

“It’s okay,” Blaine reassured him, placing a hand on each of Sebastian’s shoulders. “We can talk when you get back.”

“When I get back,” he echoed with a smile but he was called away before he could say anything else. 

He tossed a wink over his shoulder as he left and Blaine watched him go, eventually turning around to go back to his quarters alone. He hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye.

When Blaine got back to his room he found the holopad waiting for him where he’d left it on his desk. The holocam was there too, and he sat down in front of it, taking a deep breath before turning it on.

“Hey Coop,” he said. “Duria already kicked my ass for working too much, so don’t worry, you don’t need to put me in a headlock. I mean, I know you will anyway and for the record I still hate it, but you don’t need to. It was really, really good to hear from you. Sometimes it’s hard, you know? Not knowing where you are or if you’re safe…”

Blaine trailed off, blinking at the ceiling for a minute before regaining his composure enough to keep talking. “I met someone,” he said. “He’s egotistical and infuriating and I think I really like him and he’s… gone. I don’t know where. He said he’ll be back in three days but you and I both know that could be three weeks or three months or never and I don’t know what I’ll do if he doesn’t come back. I don’t know what I’ll do if you don’t come back, I don’t-”

He cut himself off, closing his eyes in an effort to calm down. “You said big things are happening,” he finally continued. “I don’t want big things to happen. People die when big things happen. People like you and Sebastian. I know you believe in what we’re doing, we all do, and I know you’re ready to give up your life for the cause if you need to but I’m not ready to lose you. Either of you. So stay safe, and come home.”

He switched off the holocam and sat back in his chair. In the morning he’d take it back to the lieutenant and do his best to prepare himself for his first night back at work. He’d go to the med bay and lie to Duria when she asked how he was, and he’d throw himself into the job.

There wasn’t much else that he could do.

Blaine worked through the first night without saying much to anyone, and in the morning he found himself back in his quarters, exhausted but unable to sleep. He tried to read and failed, and even pulled up a holodama, but none of it was adequately distracting. He tossed and turned and finally managed to get a few hours of sleep before his next shift started.

To say he became anti-social would be an understatement. He counted down the hours and eventually the days, keeping vigilant track of how long Sebastian had been gone. He avoided his friends, eating alone when no one was around, and tried to avoid talking to as many people as he could. Everyone had noticed Sebastian was gone, but nobody thought much of it. Missions were a part of the life, and Sebastian was just doing his job. Blaine knew better, he knew that the mission must’ve been important to have pulled Sebastian away from the base so suddenly, and he wasn’t sure he could pretend nothing was wrong. Important didn’t necessarily mean dangerous, but this was the Resistance, and the two were closely intertwined more often than not. 

He tried to sign up for extra shifts to give himself something to do, but Duria shut him down immediately. Blaine considered asking her to give him something to help him sleep, but decided against it when she started to ask too many questions. The last thing he wanted was for her to make him take another leave; work was the last thing keeping him sane.

Three days came and went, and then a week. By the end of the week Blaine was restless, unable to focus on much beyond whatever task was immediately at hand and preoccupied with the calendar. By the end of the second week, he felt like he was losing his mind. He tried to internalize it and mostly managed to avoid snapping in public, but in the solitude of his quarters he felt his resolve starting to slip.

At the start of the third week of no news from Sebastian, Blaine was working his usual overnight shift. Duria had joined him so they could go through some typical med bay housekeeping. It was easier to take stock of supplies and check to make sure the equipment was working correctly in the middle of the night when no one was around, so the two of them set to work.

It was quiet; the med bay was mostly empty at that hour and Blaine was restocking medpacs when he heard a commotion at the door. Curious, he went to investigate, and as he got closer he heard a familiar voice. It just wasn’t one he expected to hear.

“Medic!” Cooper yelled, and Blaine didn't have time to be happy to see him because he was supporting the weight of a mostly-unconscious Sebastian. 

“No,” Blaine said, going still. “Cooper, what-”

Cooper pushed him aside to deposit Sebastian on a stretcher. Duria came running and Blaine, still frozen in place, watched her check him for mortal wounds. The medic in him made note of Sebastian’s injuries; his nose was bloody and probably broken, his flight suit had huge tears in it revealing large gashes and bruises, his left arm was hanging limply from his side in a way that Blaine knew meant his shoulder was dislocated, and his right leg was pretty clearly broken.

More telling than anything else, Sebastian’s knuckles were bruised and bloody. He’d been in a fight.

That more than anything prompted Blaine into action. “What happened?” he asked, rushing to Sebastian’s side.

“He was sent to extract me and the First Order shot him down. I wasn’t able to get to him for days and we had to fight our way off the planet,” Cooper said, and for the first time Blaine noticed his brother sporting an impressive black eye and bloody knuckles of his own. “He got me out, but I was barely able to get us both back in one piece.”

Duria made a concerned noise and rolled Sebastian onto his back. He groaned and Blaine noted his shallow breathing. Broken ribs, probably. Sebastian still wasn’t opening his eyes and Blaine prayed for an awful moment that he had completely passed out. He was surely in a lot of pain and this would be easier.

“Barely is a good word,” Duria said, not taking her eyes off Sebastian. “He’s in rough shape.”

“Bacta tank?” Blaine asked, trying to hide the tremor in his voice.

Duria shook her head. “We don't have the resources,” she said, and when Blaine started to object, “He’ll live without it, Blaine. Recovery will be slow but we need to save the tanks for life-threatening injuries.”

That was good news, at least. Sebastian might not agree when he woke up still in pieces, but he wasn’t going to die. Blaine took a shaky breath and tried to keep the cool head he was always supposed to have as a medic. “What can I do?”

“Take care of your brother,” Duria said, calling over a medical droid to help her guide the stretcher into an empty room. “I’ll tell you when I need your help with Sebastian.”

Blaine tried to protest, but Cooper grabbed him by the arm. “He’ll be fine, Blaine. Let her do her job.”

Reluctantly, Blaine watched the stretcher turn down the hallway and out of sight. When it was gone, he finally turned to his brother. “Cooper,” he said, voice breaking as he drew him into a hug.

Cooper winced. “It’s good to see you too little brother, but I’m not so good on the hugs right now.”

Blaine pulled back, really looking at Cooper for the first time. His black eye was swollen and in need of some ice, and his jacket was torn and dirty from what must’ve been a hell of a fight. Blaine checked his hands and he didn’t need to examine them too hard to determine that there were some fractured bones.

“How’s your arm?” he asked, because that was always a concern with Cooper. Not long after he’d started flying he’d been shot down by a First Order TIE fighter over a planet that wasn’t exactly known for being friendly to downed pilots. His right arm had been pinned under the wreckage, completely shattering most of the bones from his scapula to his fingers. 

A small-town medic who was loyal to the Resistance found him before the First Order did, and secretly helped him recover enough to escape. Cooper lived, but his arm would never be the same.

“It’s been better,” Cooper said. “I had to fly us here.”

Blaine stepped back, searching Cooper for signs of distress. “And you’re still standing?”

“Not exactly,” Cooper said, cradling his bad arm as his knees buckled. “A little help?”

Blaine caught him just in time to help him into a chair. “Are you insane? Coop, there’s a reason you had to stop flying.”

“Sebastian saved my life,” he said. “The least I could do was return the favor and get us out of there.”

There was a story there, something Blaine may or may not be allowed to know eventually, but it was for another time. He grabbed one of the medpacs he had just been restocking, opting for the painkillers at hand rather than go all the way to the dispensary. He handed two tablets to Cooper, who swallowed them without water.

His hands would need to be cared for; Blaine was already mulling over the choice between an airsplint and steriplast, and his arm would need extensive physical therapy. The rest of his injuries seemed manageable though, and Blaine finally let himself be happy to see his brother.

“I’m glad you’re here, Coop,” he said. He hoped he’d at least get to stay while he recovered.

“Me too,” Cooper said. “I was getting tired of being undercover. The food sucks and there’s always-”

He was cut off by Sebastian’s sharp cry from the other room, presumably as Duria relocated his shoulder and jostled his broken ribs in the process. Blaine flinched, looked towards where the sound had come from, and stood up slowly.

“Steriplast,” he said absently, more for Cooper’s benefit than his own. “I’ll use steriplast on your hands and get you some fluids too, you’re probably dehydrated. The painkillers I gave you should help but I’ll send you home with something that’ll help you sleep too.”

“Blaine-” Cooper said, but Blaine kept going.

“I think you’ll be alright without sleeping here, you can sleep in my quarters until your own can be assigned to you tomorrow. They’re going to want to know everything that happened, so you’ll need to get your rest. If you’re hungry there’s food… everywhere. I’ve been stress-eating for a few weeks, it’s not a big-”

“Blaine!” Cooper cut him off and Blaine realized he’d been rambling. “I’m fine. Sebastian is going to be fine. It’s going to be okay, I promise.”

Blaine took a deep breath and tried to center himself. “Okay,” he said, “but you really should sleep. I’ll have a droid show you the way, I’m going to stay here and finish my shift.” Cooper looked like he was going to object but Blaine stopped him. “If Duria’s going to be working on Sebastian someone else needs to be here. I’m not leaving.”

Cooper was skeptical but eventually gave up on trying to make Blaine take a break, following the droid back to Blaine’s room after Blaine had splinted his hands and given him more medication to take the edge of pain off his arm enough so he could sleep.

He spent the rest of the night robotically finishing the tasks he and Duria had started earlier. Medpacs and supply closets were stocked and organized, equipment was tested, everything was cleaned top to bottom, and Blaine was very deliberately not thinking about what was going to happen to Sebastian. Multiple droids offered to do the work for him or at least help, but he needed the distraction and waved them all off.

Duria came and went, grabbing supplies before disappearing back into Sebastian’s room. After a few hours and not long before Blaine’s shift was scheduled to end, she flagged him down. “Do you want to see him?” she asked.

Blaine breathed a sigh of relief and was quick to follow her down the hall. When she let him into Sebastian’s room, he bent over the bed and examined Sebastian as closely as he could without actually touching him. He knew that if Duria was letting him in it meant she’d taken care of Sebastian and he was out of danger, but that didn’t stop Blaine from checking him over to see for himself.

Sebastian was completely unconscious, knocked out by exhaustion or medication or both. A feeling Blaine didn’t recognize unfurled in his chest. It was a fond sort of tenderness, wrapped up in concern, and Blaine had never felt anything like it.

“I’m staying until he wakes up.”

“Okay,” Duria said, surprising Blaine by not fighting him on it. “I’ll get you a chair.”

* * *

Blaine was nodding off in the chair Duria had quietly placed next to the bed when Sebastian woke up with a gasp. The sharp inhale must have hurt his ribs because he spluttered, coughed, and groaned in pain. Blaine was on his feet in a second.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” he said, gently placing his hands over one of Sebastian’s. “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

The words seemed to settle Sebastian, and he relaxed back into his pillow with a sigh. “Blaine,” he said. “Duria said you’d be here.”

“You know where we are?” Blaine asked. It was the first question in a set of four that he always asked. “Do you know-”

“I also know what day it is, and that my name is Sebastian Smythe, and that General Organa runs the base. Duria already checked me for a concussion, apparently I have one but it’s not that bad.”

Blaine chuckled. Typical Sebastian to have all the answers. “Just checking,” he said. “How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” Sebastian answered bluntly. “Everything hurts, I don’t remember the last time I showered, and I can’t even make a joke about us playing doctor because as good as it is to see you I’ve never felt less sexy.”

“You’re alive,” Blaine said, smoothing a hand over Sebastian’s hair. “I happen to think that’s very sexy.”

Sebastian laughed, winced, and made a pained sort of wheezing noise. “Yeah,” he said, shifting a little, “real sexy.”

“You’re due for more painkillers,” Blaine said. “I’ll go get something strong if you don’t mind going back to sleep?”

Closing his eyes, Sebastian said, “Unconsciousness sounds pretty good right now.”

Blaine stepped out and ran directly into Duria. “I was just coming to check on you,” she said. “How’s he feeling?”

“He’s awake and worried about his sex appeal,” Blaine said, “so at least we know his personality survived. He’s still in a lot of pain though so I’m going to give him some-”

Duria cut him off by planting herself firmly in his way where he’d tried to move towards the dispensary. It wouldn’t ordinarily have come off as intimidating from a woman her size, but Duria made it work. “No,” she said. “You’re not his doctor. You’re too close to this Blaine, I’m not going to let you make decisions about his health when you can’t be objective.”

Blaine couldn’t even argue because deep down he knew she was right. The worried glance he reflexively directed at Sebastian’s door when he heard him coughing behind it only proved her point. “Fine,” he said, “but I really do think he needs something for pain that will help him sleep.”

“Come with me,” Duria said with a sigh, gesturing for him to follow her to the dispensary. She handed him the medication and said, “Be careful.”

Blaine had a feeling she wasn’t just talking about the drugs, but he didn’t know what to say. Instead, he nodded and took the medicine back to Sebastian’s room without saying anything. He’d think about it later.

“Ready for bed?” he asked Sebastian when he returned with the pills.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to hear you say that,” Sebastian said, “just under very different circumstances.”

Blaine laughed and helped him take the pills saying, “I hate to disappoint, but I think this is the only kind of action you’ll be seeing in bed for a while.”

Sebastian groaned. “It’s bad enough that they shot down my X-Wing and messed up my body. Does the First Order really get to kill my sex life, too?”

“It’s not permanent,” Blaine assured him. The drugs were working fast and Sebastian was already starting to slip into sleep, blinking slowly until he finally let his eyes close. 

“Good,” he said. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He was out like a light just a moment later.

Blaine sat back down with a smile and started dozing off himself. He had no idea how long he stayed like that, but Duria’s soft hand on his shoulder woke him up. 

“He’s going to be out for hours,” Duria said. “Your shift ended a while ago. Go find your brother and get some rest. Sebastian will be here when you come back tonight.”

Too tired to protest, Blaine did as she said. Cooper wasn’t in his quarters when he got back, but that didn’t surprise him. There was probably a lot of debriefing that needed to be done, and the base would be waking up soon. Blaine collapsed into bed, falling hard into sleep without even changing out of his uniform.

* * *

He woke up hours later to the smell of caf and the sight of Cooper reading at his desk. 

“Good morning,” Cooper said, and Blaine’s heart skipped a beat.

“Morning?” Blaine asked, sitting up so quickly he got tangled in the blanket Cooper must have put over him. “What time is it? I have to be at work.”

Cooper laughed at him and handed him the mug of caf from the desk. “I was being figurative. You’re way too serious for someone your age, has anyone ever told you that? Learn the art of the metaphor.”

“So… not morning?” Blaine’s head was still a little fuzzy from sleep, and after untangling himself from the blanket he took the mug from Cooper. He didn’t really have it in him to ask Cooper if he knew what the word “metaphor” actually meant.

“I just got back from dinner,” Cooper told him. “Your shift starts in half an hour.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Blaine let himself take a minute to enjoy his caf. “Thank you,” he said. “You didn’t have to come check on me though, I’m sure you have a lot to do. You don’t have to like, move in to make sure I get to work on time.”

“Here’s the thing,” Cooper said apologetically, and Blaine had a feeling he wasn’t going to like where this was going. “They don’t actually have an empty room for me right now, but I figured that because we’re on opposite schedules it would be fine if I crashed here.”

Blaine shook his head, already anxious. “No,” he said firmly. “No, Coop, absolutely not.”

Cooper made that apologetic face again, and Blaine knew it was already too late. “My stuff is being brought in tonight, I swear you won’t even notice I’m here.”

* * *

Blaine started his shift at the med bay in Sebastian’s room, and when he told him about Cooper, Sebastian laughed so hard he needed to be given more painkillers for his ribs.

“I’m so sorry,” Blaine said once Duria had given Sebastian the medication and left with a glare. “I didn’t think it was that funny.”

“Not for you, maybe,” Sebastian said, “but I’m hopped up on narcotics and bored out of my mind so that’s the funniest fucking thing I’ve heard all day.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “Sebastian, you’ve been here for less than 24 hours. You’ve been _asleep_ for most of those 24 hours.”

Sebastian dramatically rolled his eyes right back in a gesture Blaine understood to be highly sarcastic. “Exactly,” he said. “Boring. When do I get to leave?”

“I’m not your doctor,” Blaine reminded him. “It’s up to Duria.”

“I’m fine,” Sebastian insisted, but he didn’t look fine to Blaine. There was steriplast wrapped around his leg, bacta patches all over his body on the cuts that had been deemed too big to heal on their own, and hollows under his eyes that Blaine desperately hoped would fade with just a little more sleep. Sebastian tried and failed to stifle a yawn, and Blaine smiled fondly.

“Get some more sleep and maybe I’ll believe you,” he said. “It’s nighttime, that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Sebastian groaned but reluctantly closed his eyes. “Fine,” he said, “but if my brain atrophies from being stuck in here for too long, I’m coming for you first.”

“Goodnight, Sebastian,” Blaine said, standing and dimming the lights before he slipped out the door. He couldn’t be certain, but he was pretty sure Sebastian was asleep before he’d even closed it behind him.

A few hours later, Blaine was talking to a medical droid when he heard a shout in Sebastian’s room. Excusing himself, Blaine rushed to see what was wrong. He opened the door, flipped up the lights, and found Sebastian breathing heavily and looking panicked.

“Sebastian?”

“Blaine?” Sebastian asked, looking around in confusion. He tried to sit up but only made it partway, falling back heavily on his elbows with a sigh.

Blaine was at his side in a second and adjusted the bed so Sebastian could actually sit up while Blaine took his vitals. “I’m just going to check you out, okay?” he asked, reaching for Sebastian’s wrist.

His pulse was elevated, but not dangerously so, and even though the rise and fall of Sebastian’s chest was shaky, it was even. Blaine pressed the back of his hand to Sebastian’s forehead; no fever. Blaine was about to check his blood pressure when Sebastian stopped him.

“I’m fine, Blaine,” he said, but Blaine wasn’t buying it. He was white as a ghost and still shaking a little. “It was just a bad dream.”

 _Oh_. Blaine had seen this before, in the weeks of Cooper’s recovery after being shot down. He wondered what Sebastian had been through to give him nightmares like this, and knew better than to leave him alone.

“My break starts soon,” he said carefully, sitting down. “While you were gone I got hooked on _Let Me Be Your Star_ , and I was going to watch some. If you’re worried about your brain atrophying you could watch with me.”

“The dating show?” Sebastian asked, skeptical. The color was returning to his face but he still seemed a little unsettled. Blaine wondered for a second if he’d said the right thing. “Fine,” Sebastian agreed, half-heartedly rolling his eyes, and Blaine appreciated the effort to at least act like himself. “I don’t think a reality show is going to help my brain at all but it’s better than staring at the wall.”

Blaine laughed and stood up to get the holopad and the lunch he’d packed. They watched three episodes during Blaine’s break, and by the time Blaine had to go back to work, Sebastian was already mostly asleep. Blaine reclined the bed, turned off the holopad, and dimmed the lights on his way out. He thought he heard a mumbled, “thank you” as he closed the door behind him, but he couldn’t be sure.

Sebastian was still asleep when he left in the morning.

* * *

Sebastian’s recovery progressed faster than anyone had expected, but still too slow by Sebastian’s standards. He had total use of his injured shoulder within a few days, and by the end of the first week the bacta patches had done their work and the worst of the gashes had healed. His ribs and his leg took the longest but they did heal over time, especially as Duria started him on physical therapy. After Sebastian’s “infuriating perfectionism and inability to take things slow” had driven her completely up the wall, Blaine was allowed to help.

There were still nightmares. Not every night, not really even frequently, but enough that they developed an unspoken system to deal with it. When Blaine was working, he’d sit Sebastian up, calm him down, and they’d watch more of the dating show on Blaine’s holopad for a while until Sebastian was okay to be alone. They never talked about it, just traded jokes about which one of the contestants was going to go home next. In the morning when Blaine would stick around to help out with Sebastian’s physical therapy, it never came up. Blaine never asked what Sebastian did if he wasn’t around.

Physical therapy with Sebastian was… something else. They always had to stop him or slow him down because he never seemed to know his limit. Blaine knew he was restless; Sebastian’s life had gone from action-packed to dull and monotonous pretty quickly. At first it seemed like he was grateful for the break, but it wasn’t long until he started constantly pestering anyone who would talk to him about when he could get back in the air.

Even after everything he’d been through, Sebastian still missed flying.

Eventually, Sebastian had healed sufficiently and annoyed Duria enough that she allowed him to leave the med bay on the condition that he take it easy with strict bedrest and the promise that he’d keep showing up to his physical therapy. Thrilled with the news, Sebastian started to pack up the few things he’d had brought to him.

“I don’t think that boy knows the meaning of easy,” Duria said to Blaine after pulling him aside. “Is this a bad idea?”

Blaine laughed and looked behind them to where Sebastian was hobbling around the room on his crutches. It wouldn’t be long until he didn’t even need those. “I’m not sure you could stop him if you tried at this point,” he said. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Good,” Duria said, looking back at Sebastian. “You have tonight off.”

“No I don’t,” said Blaine. He was confused. “My shift starts in 15 minutes.”

Sebastian joined them, his bag hanging back over his shoulder. “I know you’re going to miss me,” he said, “but can I go now?”

“Blaine can help you get back to your room,” Duria said, and Blaine and Sebastian gave her twin looks of confusion.

“Isn’t he working tonight?” Sebastian asked at the same time Blaine said, “I’m working tonight.”

Duria smiled at them both but directed a pointed look at Blaine. “I was just telling Blaine about how he misread the schedule,” she explained. “He actually has tonight off, which is perfect timing. He can help you get settled.”

Blaine realized he wasn’t getting the night off so much as he was being assigned babysitting duty. Sebastian wasn’t stupid and also seemed to know exactly what was happening, but he surprised Blaine by not protesting. 

“Great,” Sebastian said. “Maybe if I’m lucky he’ll help me get ready for bed.” With a suggestive raised eyebrow and a cocky grin that was more like Sebastian’s old self than Blaine had seen in a while, Sebastian pivoted on his crutches and made a beeline for the exit.

Blaine looked helplessly over his shoulder at Duria, and all she could do was mouth _I’m sorry_ at him as he followed Sebastian out the door.

Dinner had already wrapped up for the night, but the mess hall was still serving food so they stopped there first. Sebastian ate like he’d been starving for months.

“Do you have any idea how many protein cubes Duria made me eat?” Sebastian asked around a mouthful of food.

“They’re beneficial to recovery!” Blaine said, feeling defensive. He’d made more than a few patients eat protein cubes himself.

Sebastian finished off what was on his plate and sat back. “They’re disgusting,” he said. 

Blaine was trying to figure out how to agree while still defending his point when they were joined by several pilots all at once. He knew Sebastian had had a lot of visitors, but he’d never really given it much thought. He didn’t work during visiting hours, so he never saw anyone come in.

They had been coming though, at least that was how it seemed. Sebastian was laughing and talking with all of them like he hadn’t missed a thing. Blaine found himself feeling out of the loop; his social life had suffered a little from him spending so much time at work with Sebastian, and it occurred to him that Sebastian might know more about what was going on with their friends than he did.

Blaine was content to listen in and catch up, but after a while he caught Sebastian’s eye. He looked tired, and Blaine could tell he was starting to fade. It was a lot to take on after so much downtime, and Blaine couldn’t blame him.

“Alright guys,” he said. “It’s been fun but I’m under strict orders to take Sebastian to bed.”

He realized his mistake when the response he got was mostly just catcalls and wolf whistles.

Jess piped up, “Guys just let them go,” and Blaine had never been more grateful for her. He started to thank her when she added, “It’s been awhile since either of them have taken anyone to bed, we shouldn’t stand in their way.”

Traitor.

With a deep sigh like he was being forced, Sebastian carefully stood up from the table on one foot and propped himself up on his crutches. “You heard the man,” he said. “Doctor’s orders.” Somehow he managed to make it sound like he was telling a dirty joke, and Blaine was pretty sure he was the only one who could tell Sebastian was relieved.

Blaine stood up himself during the laughter that followed, and after saying goodbye they both headed out for Sebastian’s quarters. They weren’t far, and before Blaine knew it they were standing at Sebastian’s door.

“Do you mind if I hang out for a while?” Blaine asked kind of awkwardly.

“You know, despite what Duria thinks, I don’t need a babysitter,” Sebastian said, but he gestured for Blaine to join him once he opened the door and stepped into his room. “I only agreed because I didn’t think she’d let me leave if you didn’t go with me.”

He had that much right, at least. Still, there was something else.

“It’s not that,” Blaine said. “It’s just… Cooper is still living with me and he’s not expecting me and if I have to spend the entire night sitting at my desk trying to read while he snores one of us isn’t going to make it to the morning alive.”

Sebastian laughed, sitting down on his bed. “My money’s on you,” he said. “Cooper’s got skills, but you’re scrappy.”

“Hilarious,” Blaine said, pulling the chair out from Sebastian’s desk and sitting across from him. “They said he’ll have his own place by next week but I honestly don’t know if I’ll make it.”

“Hang out here,” Sebastian suggested, surprisingly with no indication of innuendo or deeper meaning. “If you’re not working and he’s pissing you off you can keep me company. Bedrest in here isn’t going to be much more exciting than bedrest in the hospital.”

Blaine lit up. “We can finish _Let Me Be Your Star!_ The season finale was last week and-”

Sebastian cut him off. “I’m sorry Blaine, but I can’t keep pretending I like that show. It’s honestly the worst thing I’ve ever willingly watched, and that includes the time a droid mechanic had too much to drink and decided the best way to seduce Poe Dameron was through song.”

“Did it work?” Blaine asked, temporarily forgetting that Sebastian had been lying about the show he’d thought they’d been enjoying watching together.

Sebastian shrugged. “I’m not sure, by the end of the night I was drunk and hooking up with the bartender from the cantina so I didn’t see who left with who. It seems like the kind of shit Poe would go for, though.”

Blaine had only met Poe a few times, but found himself agreeing. He’d liked Poe, he was earnest and sincere, and Blaine wondered briefly when his travels would lead him back to the base. “You really hate _Let Me Be Your Star_?” he asked, coming back around to the point Sebastian had been trying to make.

“It’s trash, Blaine,” Sebastian said, not even trying to sound apologetic. “Total trash.”

He had a point, and Blaine wasn’t too offended. He took his holopad out of his bag and set it on the desk. “Smashball?” he suggested.

They watched highlights until Sebastian fell asleep.

The next day, Blaine was given good news twice in very rapid succession. 

He woke up mid-afternoon to the sound of Cooper rummaging around, and when he sat up he saw his brother packing his things. It was awkward; Cooper’s arm was still in a sling while he waited for it to recover, and he wasn’t having a lot of success folding his clothes up into his bag one-handed.

“You’re awake,” Cooper said, as if he wasn’t the reason for that. “Great news, they found somewhere for me to live!”

The news perked Blaine up better than any caf ever could. “When do you leave?”

Cooper continued to try to fold a shirt for another minute before giving up and throwing it into his bag scrunched into a ball. “As soon as I can pack,” he said, reaching for the next thing to be folded.

Blaine was up in an instant, drawing Cooper into a one-armed hug that was careful to avoid his injured side. “Don’t get me wrong,” Blaine started, “I’m so happy you’re back, it’s just-”

“Living on top of each other is not the best form of brotherly bonding,” Cooper finished. “Trust me, I know.”

Grabbing the shirt out of Cooper’s hands, Blaine started folding. Getting Cooper packed up ended up being the most fun they’d had together in a while, and within an hour Cooper was ready to go. Blaine was truly happy to have Cooper around again, but he had a feeling the extra space would actually improve their relationship. They agreed to meet up in a few days at a neutral location where no one would feel claustrophobic.

Blaine honestly thought his day couldn’t get any better when he arrived at work with a huge smile on his face. Duria was the first to notice.

“You look happy,” she said. “I take it you’ve heard?”

“Heard what?” Blaine asked. “I’m just happy Cooper finally moved out.”

Duria smiled. “Your night’s about to get even better,” she said. “We have a new medic coming in tonight.”

“That’s awesome,” Blaine said, already thinking about what he could get done with some extra time off here and there.

“That’s not the best part,” Duria said. “She’s from the night side of a tidally locked moon.” When Blaine wasn’t getting it she added, “She wants to work nights.”

Realization dawned on Blaine. “So… no more overnights? I get to sleep at the same time as everyone else?”

“We’ll still need your help sometimes,” Duria said, “but yes. Terral is coming in tonight, we’ll train her, and you and I can work out a new schedule.”

Blaine had never been so happy to start a shift.

The new medic was astoundingly competent, having run a med bay on her home planet before fleeing the First Order. She fit in right away and the transition was seamless, and Blaine was actually able to leave a few hours early. He was too pumped, too excited about all the new changes, to go back to his quarters and try to sleep, and he found himself knocking on Sebastian’s door.

He was reminded of the time when Sebastian opened it propped up on one crutch, wearing nothing but sweatpants and a blearily displeased expression. 

“Oh no, it’s early,” Blaine said, realizing Sebastian wouldn’t have woken up on his own for hours.

“No shit,” Sebastian said, running a hand through his hair in a half-hearted attempt to control his bedhead and not outwardly caring when it didn’t work. “Is something wrong?”

Blaine cringed. “Nothing’s wrong, I just had some good news and I forgot what time it is, but I’ll go-”

Sebastian stopped him as he turned to leave and held his door open wider. “You’re here, I’m awake, just come in before that stupid guilty look on your face kills us both.”

Relaxing a little, Blaine followed him inside. Sebastian tossed the crutch to the side; he was at a point where he could do okay on his own, but he still had some trouble putting weight on it for too long. He climbed back into bed, not even trying to stifle a yawn. Blaine moved to sit down on his desk chair, but froze when he noticed it was buried under a pile of clothes.

Sensing his discomfort, Sebastian said, “Don’t make it weird, Blaine. Just come here and sit down.”

Blaine couldn’t blame him for his impatience, it was truly an unfortunate hour. Reluctantly, he toed off his shoes and sat down next to Sebastian where he’d made room on the bed, propping himself up on the pillow that Sebastian had graciously thrown at his head. They shifted, laughed a little, and settled.

“Cooper moved out,” Blaine said, starting with what was somehow the less exciting piece of news.

“That’s good,” Sebastian said, closing his eyes. He hadn’t even bothered sitting up to talk to Blaine, and looked like he could fall back asleep at any time. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to testify against you after you murdered him for hooking up with Jess in your bed.”

“I’m sorry, he did _what_?” Blaine asked, already making a list of medications he had access to that would make Cooper go bald or turn green.

Sebastian shrugged sleepily. “You didn’t hear it from me.”

Blaine dialed it down, he figured he had less than 5 minutes before Sebastian was out cold and wanted to get to the really good news before that happened. “That’s not even the best part,” he said. “Starting next week I’m going to be working days.”

“That’s awesome,” Sebastian said, blinking his eyes open with a genuine but drowsy smile. “Maybe you can actually let yourself have fun for once. You remember what fun is, right?”

“How could I forget when I have you?” Blaine asked as Sebastian’s eyes slid closed again. “You’ve made it your personal mission to make sure I have some.”

Sebastian _hmm_ -ed thoughtfully and Blaine knew he’d lost him. He’d heard that sound countless times in the med bay, and it meant Sebastian was basically already asleep. He should leave, he thought, let Sebastian get some rest and maybe even get some for himself. It had been a long night, and he was more tired than he’d realized. He’d close his eyes for just a minute, and then he’d be on his way.

Later that morning, Blaine woke up to a warm weight on his side and the persistent beeping noise of an alarm that wasn’t his. Groaning, Sebastian reached over Blaine to smack the clock next to the bed before settling back down like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Blaine blinked and looked around. At some point, he’d shifted into lying down next to Sebastian, and Sebastian had curled up against his side. That warm weight he’d felt was Sebastian lying half on top of his arm. Sebastian was still shirtless, and Blaine was still fully clothed. Not sure how long he’d been out, he checked the clock and-

“Sebastian,” he said, poking him urgently. “Sebastian, we have to get up.” He tried to sit up, but Sebastian was still weighing down his arm. “Sebastian,” he said again. They had fifteen minutes to get ready for Sebastian’s physical therapy.

Sebastian’s eyes opened slowly. “You’re still here,” he said with a smile, and Blaine realized that he did always leave before Sebastian woke up. It was nice to wake up with Sebastian. Judging by the look on his face, Sebastian felt the same way. “Usually you-”

He looked so pleased that Blaine had no choice but to cut him off with a kiss. 

That got Sebastian’s attention and he woke up pretty quickly, pulling Blaine in by the back of his neck to get them closer. They stayed like that, trading lazy kisses that never needed to escalate, oxygenating two people with barely enough air for one. Blaine was about to lean in and let his mouth open to Sebastian’s when the clock started beeping again.

He pulled back with a chuckle and said, “We should really go.”

“Or, consider this,” Sebastian countered, “we could stay here and try a different kind of physical therapy.”

“Great,” Blaine said. “I’ll just call Duria to get her approval, and we can-”

Sebastian groaned and shoved him until he was rolling out of bed. “Mood successfully killed. Thanks for nothing, Blaine.”

Blaine shut off the clock and held out a hand to help Sebastian up. “To be continued?”

* * *

Blaine appreciated the amount of effort it must have taken Duria to hold her tongue when he showed up still in his uniform hours after leaving with a self-satisfied-looking Sebastian in tow who hadn’t even bothered changing out of his sweatpants.

She said nothing, just worked Sebastian even harder than usual with the promise that if he did well and followed her exact orders she’d let him go for a few runs in the holosimulator. Simulated flight was a far cry from the real thing, but it was still close enough, and Sebastian finished the session without a single complaint.

Once he’d been assured that the holosimulator really was happening, Sebastian allowed himself to be ushered out of the med bay by Blaine, who’d been avoiding Duria’s pointed looks and wanted to get out of there before she found a way to get him alone. He knew there’d be no real disapproval, but he wasn’t ready for the barrage of questions she was inevitably going to ask. He and Duria were basically family, and sometimes she paid a little too much attention to his personal life.

They didn’t talk about it, but somehow Blaine and Sebastian ended up back in Sebastian’s room. Sebastian collapsed back on the bed, having earned the heavy sigh that came next. It had been an intense morning, and he was probably exhausted. 

Blaine settled down next to him more easily this time, now that he was sure he was welcome. Sebastian’s eyes were closed, but he still somehow saw it coming when Blaine kissed him. Reflexes maybe, some kind of pilot’s instinct. Sebastian arched into it, drawing himself up towards Blaine like he was magnetized, shifting so he could pull them closer together until-

“ _Shit_ ,” Sebastian hissed, pulling away and falling back onto the bed. He flexed his leg, straightening it out stiffly like he was trying to stretch out a cramp. 

“Let me see,” Blaine said, pulling and shifting them both so that he could get Sebastian's leg across his lap. It had been a tough morning, and he'd probably just put weight on it the wrong way. Gently, he felt his way along Sebastian’s calf and when he was sure he wasn’t hurting him he started to lightly knead his fingers into Sebastian’s leg.

Sebastian exhaled sharply through his nose. “That feels amazing,” he said, and Blaine felt his leg flex under his fingers. “How do you know how to do that?”

“I’m a medic, remember?” Feeling more confident, Blaine dug his fingers in a little harder and smiled when Sebastian made a pleased noise. He tried to push Sebastian’s sweatpants up around his knee so he could be more effective but had limited success; his wrists caught on the fabric and he struggled to get it out of his way. 

Sebastian laughed at him until Blaine got it right and got his hands on bare skin. Sebastian’s calf was warm and relaxed under his touch, a little thinner than it would have been before several weeks of disuse, but Blaine could feel where he was getting stronger. He watched his hand run up Sebastian’s shin, tucking under the rucked up fabric to trace slow circles around his knee.

Blaine had his other hand softly stroking the bones of Sebastian’s ankle when he realized Sebastian hadn’t said anything in awhile. He looked up and Sebastian’s eyes were closed and his breathing had become heavy. Blaine stopped what he was doing immediately. “Am I hurting you?” he asked, not wanting to continue if he wasn’t helping.

“You are doing the opposite of hurting me,” Sebastian said, sounding somewhat strained. Blaine’s gaze drifted lower, and- oh. _Oh._ Sebastian’s sweatpants were starting to tent in a way that suggested he was very much not in pain.

Emboldened, Blaine took his hand off Sebastian’s knee and moved it to his thigh, massaging it through the fabric of Sebastian’s sweatpants. His other hand continued to map out the delicate bones in Sebastian’s ankle, and when Sebastian groaned, his head fell back against the wall with a soft thud.

Blaine didn’t say anything, just slowly worked his hand higher and higher until Sebastian couldn’t take it anymore. “ _Blaine_ ,” he said with a shaky breath out. “You’re killing me.”

“Okay, okay,” Blaine said, and he pushed and Sebastian pulled until they were parallel and Blaine was able to get his hand where Sebastian wanted it. He rubbed softly, teasing, then harder when Sebastian’s breath hitched. He slipped a hand under Sebastian’s waistband and felt nothing but warm skin. “Really?” he asked, and Sebastian shrugged.

“Hey, you were lucky I answered the door with pants on at all,” Sebastian said. “We can run with this though,” he continued, and without a shred of modesty he kicked the sweatpants to the floor and sent his t-shirt flying to the other side of the room.

Blaine went just a little bit giddy when Sebastian started stripping and was trying to tug his uniform shirt off his head when he felt Sebastian’s hands on his hips pulling his clothes from the waist down completely off with one tug. When he emerged and his shirt was tossed aside, Sebastian grinned at him with the hint of devious mischief that always let Blaine know he was in for something fun.

Sebastian hovered over Blaine, leaning down to kiss him before slowly pulling back. When he did it again, Blaine tried to chase his mouth but Sebastian cut him off, pushing him flat onto his back so he could lean in, kiss him, and withdraw again.

The next time he did it, Blaine tried to follow him up, wrapping a hand around the back of Sebastian’s neck and arching his shoulders off the bed, but Sebastian wasn’t having any of it.

“Nuh-uh,” Sebastian said pushing him down a little more firmly, “For weeks now it’s been, _‘eat your protein,’_ or _‘do your physical therapy,’_ or _‘get a good night’s sleep.’_ It’s my turn now, I’m in charge.” 

Part of Blaine wanted to object that it was all sound medical advice given in his own best interests, but a much larger and much more invested part of him wanted to see where this would go. “I guess that means I’m following your lead,” he said.

The spark that lit up behind Sebastian’s eyes at the words was enough to confirm for Blaine that this was going to be good. “Arms up,” Sebastian instructed, and Blaine stretched them sinuously over his head. Sebastian smoothed a line up both arms and stopped at Blaine’s wrists, bringing them together and pinning them down with one large hand. “Good?”

“So good,” Blaine breathed, and if he wasn’t hard before he definitely was now.

“Good,” Sebastian repeated, and with the hand that wasn’t pinning Blaine’s wrists he started stroking Blaine’s cock in long, smooth movements.

Blaine choked on his own breath as soon as Sebastian touched him, which transitioned into a long moan when Sebastian didn’t stop. He’d been waiting for this, they both had, the two of them gravitating towards each other until Blaine was completely drawn in and couldn’t escape Sebastian’s pull. 

He certainly wasn’t going anywhere now, not with Sebastian’s hand on his cock and mouth on his neck and strong arms holding him down until Blaine couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t even breathe for how much he wanted it. He flexed his wrists against Sebastian’s hand and they didn’t budge, held fast by Sebastian’s firm grip. He sucked in a deep breath and arched his head back, ready for whatever came next.

His stillness must have come across as hesitance because Sebastian loosened his grip on Blaine’s wrists and pulled back. “You okay?” he asked, and stopped moving entirely.

The scandalized noise of protest Blaine made wasn’t exactly words, but Sebastian took it for the assent it was meant to be and resumed stroking Blaine’s cock at a harder, faster pace. The breath that had caught in Blaine’s throat released, and he couldn’t stop the barely-coherent stream of words that came next.

“Sebastian- oh- _please_ , come here, come here I want to touch you, don’t stop, don’t ever-”

Getting the message, Sebastian released Blaine’s wrists and Blaine’s hands flew up to Sebastian’s face so quickly he hit the bedside table on the way and sent Sebastian’s clock and lamp careening to the floor. They both laughed, but it was too good to stop, and Blaine got one hand around the back of Sebastian’s neck with the other clawing desperately at his back. Sebastian’s noise of approval was muffled by the kiss that came next, and he straddled Blaine’s hips, essentially climbing into his lap so their cocks could rub up against each other.

Sebastian gasped out a moan when Blaine wrapped a hand around them both, and Blaine felt like he could tear the world apart just to hear that sound again. Soft moans grew louder and then Sebastian was coming, rattling with a climax that made his hands shake wherever they were touching Blaine. That was more than enough for Blaine, and he tilted over the edge only moments later. 

When he came he thought that maybe he understood why Sebastian loved flying.

* * *

There was a clearing not far from the airfield, close enough for Sebastian to walk but secluded enough that they’d have the space to themselves. Blaine had been told it had been used for equipment storage at one point, but it had long outgrown its original purpose. The grass smoothed out any rough terrain and Blaine and Sebastian found a place to sit under one of the giant native trees, trading swigs from the bottle of Ottegan mead Blaine had stolen from Cooper before he moved out.

“You really can’t wait to get back up there, can you?” Blaine asked after catching Sebastian eyeing the sky over the mountains. After everything that had happened, he didn’t understand how Sebastian wasn’t even a little bit hesitant.

“First the holosimulator, then my X-Wing,” Sebastian confirmed. “They’re going to need me up there.”

“Oh?” said Blaine, perking up. So much of what happened off-base was well above his security clearance level, so he didn’t get a lot of specifics. This sounded specific.

Sebastian took another drink from the bottle and handed it back to Blaine, eyes never leaving the horizon. “General Organa will personally put me on a shuttle to the heart of the nearest sun if she finds out I told you, but we heard from Poe. He’s on his way back now and they’re saying a stormtrooper defected. It could be huge.”

“Wow,” Blaine said, allowing himself to be stunned for a moment before taking another drink. He’d been a part of the Resistance for so long that the fight had started to feel like a giant, all-consuming black hole with no beginning or end. Things shifted from time to time, but there was this permanent sense of stalemate, and Blaine had started categorizing battles as “survived” instead of “won” a long time ago. If he and Cooper and Sebastian all survived, it was a good day. He didn’t dare hope for more.

“We’re gonna do this,” said Sebastian, taking his eyes off the sky to look at Blaine. When they locked eyes, Blaine could tell he wasn’t just talking about the Resistance. “We’re gonna win.”

When Sebastian kissed him, Blaine caught himself feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time.


End file.
